So you've booked your ticket and the countdown for your next big travel adventure has commenced! However, you're feeling a little more anxious than you thought you would and the more you read about your destination - the more you start to wonder and over think your decision...
With everything going on in the news and around the world, we know how easy it is to get sucked into an overwhelming feeling of the famous travel jitters. That's why we thought we could writing a blog to help you cope and overcome your fears that way when it comes down for you to travel, the only thing you're jittery about is finally arriving at your destination. Check out our 5 Easy Ways on How to Shake off the Travel Jitters (for good!).
1) Prepare, research and plan!
In general, preparation is the key to avoiding any jitters. Get your information before heading out on your journey as a little bit of research can go a long way putting you at ease and ready to travel. Some countries have a completely different way of living and the societal culture may not be something you're accustomed to - therefore researching what to expect along with some do's & don'ts can better prepare you. Besides, researching any destination is so easy today as there are many fantastic travel blogs online covering every corner of the globe that offer free downloadable guides, detailed blogs and other resources.
Planning your trip can leave less room for disorder and franticness. Although we are a firm believer in not planning every single second of your trip, we do encourage an efficient and breathable itinerary that will let your adventure run as smoothly as possible. Having everything you want to see and do written out into a timeline is a great way to feel less overwhelmed and more enthusiastic about what's to come.
2) Keep up to date and update your loved ones.
Staying up to date and keeping your loved ones in the loop of where you're heading to is important to calming those travel jitters. Printing a copy of your itinerary for your parents or close friends with an emergency contact number as well as a copy of important documents can save you from any potential hassles. As they say, better safe than sorry!
Do you need any vaccines or medications for your destination? This is extremely important before departure as the only thing worse than travel jitters is getting sick. Contacting your family doctor, local clinic or vaccination clinics specifically for vacation go-ers is a great way to make sure you're up to date on any precautions you may or may not need before travelling.
Keeping up with any political tensions, outbreaks or weather conditions isn't something you should fear but want to stay posted on as it can help you better avoid where you should go and what you should be worrying about (not what your mind is fictionalizing!). For American travellers we suggest checking up on the US State Department, while Canadians should refer to the Canadian Travel Department.
This brings us to our next point so you don't dwell too much on this one...
3) Don't let fear consume you!
Although you should stay updated, do not panic. It's incredibly easy for your mind to run on and create fictional situations of you and your travel buddies running into trouble or something terrible happening. Since you're travelling somewhere unknown it is completely normal to feel jittery and expect the worst from the unexpected.
However, you shouldn't dwell on these things as we want you to remind you these are fictions of your imagination getting the best of you. For every negative thing you think of; turn it into two positive situations. Plus, would you rather stay home and ask yourself the what ifs because you let your fears consume you or do you want to face them head on and see what's to come on your adventure of a lifetime?
4) Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings and build a routine.
Most of the time, fear stems from the unknown and change. The best thing to do when you arrive in a foreign place is to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Locate your hotel, take note of the cute shops around as well as the great smelling breakfast place and slowly take in everything around you. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, however it should be more of an overwhelming amount of excitement instead of nerves. If you know your surroundings there is nothing to fear - speak with the hotel staff, the vendors and locals you meet - oh and smile!
If you're feeling overwhelmed and a little homesick another great thing to do is to bring some of your home routine with you. This can be going for a morning jog that you always do back home; which is great because not only will you sweat out all those travel jitters but you'll get to discover and run a completely different scenic route. Doing something familiar that you do at home in a new place can make the destination less foreign as well as your body and mind more comfortable to where you are.
5) Remember to breathe and expect the unexpected!
Our last and final tip we want you to remember is to breathe, expect the unexpected and especially ENJOY your adventure. Anything can happen when you're abroad and those surprises aren't all that bad. Losing your way somewhere can lead you to an unexpected beautiful view or delicious local treat. As important as it is to stay vigilant and cautious of your surroundings, don't let that consume all the fun from you enjoying the beauty of travel and its spontaneity.
